Overview
- On Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival, George Clooney said he would not endorse the proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. merger and called the deal “complicated” and financially doubtful.
- Clooney said he does not see how the transaction will make sense for the parties trying to do it and said there are many issues that could stop it from closing.
- He warned that studio consolidation typically leads to job losses and said he fears generative AI will displace technical roles such as visual effects supervisors.
- Clooney defended Mark Ruffalo’s right to speak about the deal after Ruffalo drew accusations that prompted public letters of support from other industry figures.
- His remarks add a high-profile voice to broader concerns about the deal’s labor impact, the role of AI, concentrated media ownership and the tougher financial and regulatory path ahead.